Trump Nominates Heidi Overton, a Top Domestic Policy Aide, for F.D.A. Commissioner

President Trump announced on Wednesday that he had nominated Dr.Heidi Overton, a White House domestic policy official and a proponent of the administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda, to serve as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, an agency that has had significant staff turnover and political interference in recent months.In a post on Truth Social, Mr.

Trump called Dr.Overton “a ROCKSTAR in my Administration.” He said he needed her leadership at the F.D.A.

to “ensure that the U.S.remains the WORLD LEADER for Scientific Discovery and CURES.” He also said he expected her to deliver on his priorities, including clinical trial reforms and lower drug prices.Last week, Dr.

Overton stood alongside President Trump as he signed a third executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccinations, which has no legal power and has been broadly criticized by public health experts.During the event, Dr.Overton said the order could help states recognize “gold standard” recommendations and take steps to limit vaccines required for school entry.“We are going to be working directly with states so that we’re not reliant on the court case to resolve,” Dr.

Overton said, referring to ongoing litigation over pared-down vaccine recommendations.“We are doing it right away so that parents get the benefit from state laws changing.”Requirements for vaccines upon school entry, which are set by states, are a bedrock of U.S.

vaccine policy.Earlier this year, vaccine opponents tried to overturn them in a number of states, without success.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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